Apparatus for extracting gold and black sand



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

S. G; DORR. APPARATUS FOR EXTRAGTING GOLD AND BLACK SAND. No. 519,245. Patented May 1, 1894.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s. e. DORE. APPARATUS FOR EXTRAGTING GOLD AND BLACK SAND. No. 519,245, Patented May 1, 1894.

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.NITED STATES:

ATENT OFFIC SAMUEL e. DORR, on BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOREXTRACTING GOLD AND BLACK SAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,245, dated May 1, 1894. l Application filed October 27,1893- Serial No. 489,282. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. Donn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, 1n the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n Apparatus for Extracting Gold and Black Sand, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for extracting gold and accompanying black sand from pulverized ores and auriferous earth, sand or gravel.

Gold is frequently accompanied by a quantity of black sand which is of such high specific gravity that it is diflicult to secure its complete separation from the precious metal. It is usually thrown away with the tailings, so far as it can be, but with it goes acertain portron of the finer particles of gold. This black sand is itself auriferous to a certain extent, for if all visible particles of gold are picked out samples of the remaining sand will yield gold upon assay. It, therefore, becomes desirable to save. this sand instead ting it to escape with the tailings.

It is the object of my invention to, first, extract and collect all the black sand together with the gold, thus securing whatever gold the black sand may contain, subsequently separate the mixture of gold and black sand,

and then if the remaining sand isdeemed sufficiently valuable it may be treated in any suitable and well known manner for the extraction of such gold as it may contain.

My invention consists in an apparatus for extracting gold and saving therewith the accompanying black sand, as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1, is a vertical longitudinal section and part side elevation of my improved machine for extracting the precious metals and accompanying black sand from auriferous earth, gravel or pulverized ore. Fig. 2, is a plan of the same. Fig. 3, is a vertical transverse section on the line 3-:3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is avertical transverse section on the line 4-4. of Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is a plan of the perforated falsebottom or grating detached.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a tank or trough the interior of which may be lined with amalgamated plates,

of permitgrating or provided with series of slots 4. and

circular perforations 5, which slots and perforations permit the passage of jetsand currents of water upward into the body of the tank 1 to keep its contents in a state of agitation suitable for effecting .a separation of the gold from the dirt and tailings while the slots 4. also permit the gravitation of gold and accompanying black sand into the chamber 2 below the said false bottom. In the chamber2 is supported a longitudinally arranged water conduit or pipe 6 having an inlet 7 at one end and closed at its other end. The top of this water conduit or pipe 6 is provided, as usual, with a series of nozzles 8 that project through the circular perforations 5 of the false bottom 3 and are preferably somewhat inclined toward that end of the tank body which is provided with an opening 9 for exit of the tailings. The opening 9 communicates witha spout 10 for conducting the tailings and surplus water to the dump and a suitable valve or gate 11 may be provided for controlling the discharge.

For the purpose of preventing the entrance .7

of light earthy particles through the slots 4 into the chamber 2, together with the gold and heavy black sand, a separate and independent supply of water at a regulated pressure, is conducted into one end of said chamber 2 by means of an inlet pipe 12 provided with a hand valve 13 for controlling the force of the current. The tendency of this water to escape upward, through the slots/l, creates currents of sufficient force to keep the light particles of earth and refuse matter in suspension throughout the body of the tank, while the gravitation of gold and black sand into the chamber 2 will not be obstructed. At the same time the jets of water thrown into the tank 1 from the pipe or conduit 6 through its inclined nozzles 8 keep the loose I preferably sifted into one end of the tank 1 from a revolving screen drum 14 of any suitable construction and by the action of the currents produced by the inclined jet nozzles 8 the loose earth is gradually floated along toward the tailings exit where the lighter particles escape, while the gold and heavy black sand gravitate onto the perforated false bottom 3 and pass through the same into the chamber 2 beneath.

One end of the chamber 2 is provided with an outlet pipe or spout 15 leading to a settling tank 16 in which the gold and black sand are finally received. This settling tank may be provided with amalgam plates, riffles, pockets or other devices for catching the gold. By observing the character of the discharge from this outlet pipe 15, with reference to the proportions of gold and black sand, the attendant will be informed as to the nature of contents in the chamber 2-and will thus be enabled to so adjust the hand valve 13 as to regulate the delivery of water into the chamber 2 to produce just the strength of current needed to exclude light earthy particles without interfering with the gravitation of the black sand and fine particles of gold.

It is evident that if the chamber 2 was not provided with a separate and independent supply of water, as through the inlet pipe 12, the said chamber would soon fill up with sand and dirt from the upper portion of the tank. If a very strong current of water should be thrown into the said chamber it would have much the same effect as that produced by the action of the jets thrown from the nozzles 8, and would keep everything in suspension in the tank. But by providing the separate water inlet 12 with the regulating valve 13 the strength of the current entering the chamber 2 and the upward currents issuing therefrom through the slots at in the perforated false bottom 3 can be so controlled and regulated that the heavy sand and fine gold will readily pass down into the chamber 2 while only the lighter refuse matter and dbris will be held in suspension and finally suffered to escape through the valved opening 9 in the end of the tank. A proper regulation or adjustment of the valve 13 to accurately control the force of the current admitted to the chamber 2 through the independent supply pipe 12 could not be well or conveniently accomplished unless there were some way, such as provided by the outlet pipe 15, of obtaining a knowledge of the contents of the chamber.

In other gold separating machines of this general character, so far as I am aware, it is attempted to at once separate the gold from all the sand and to get the black sand into the dump along with the tailings.- As distinguished from this mode of treatment 1t is the purpose of my invention to first save all the black sand together with the gold, without attempting their separation from each other until after they have been extracted from the crushed ore, earth, gravel or other worthless matter and receivedtogether lo a settling tank. This object is conveniently and economically effected by means of the grated or perforated false bottom 3 and the devices for passing upward currents of water through it of such regulated strength or force as to separate and float off the lighter debris without obstructing the gravitation of the black sand together with the gold, both fine and coarse; an accurate regulation of the force exerted by the upward currents of water from the chamber 2 into the main body of the tank being made possible by the means provided for constantly obtaining precise knowledge of the contents of said chamber It will be observed that the inlet pipe 7 1s for admitting a constant flow of water Into the conduit 6, inclosed in the chamber 2, from which conduit jets of water are thrown by the nozzles 8 into the tank 1 to keep the lighter particles of earth in agitation and suspension so that they will gradually float off through the exit for tailings. The valved pipe 12 admits water at a regulated pressure directly into one end of the chamber 2, outside of the conduit 6, and thus serves two important purposes.\ A portion of the water admitted to the chamber 2 through the pipe 12 creates upward currents through the slots or perforationst to prevent the entranceinto said chamber of any light earthy material along with the gold and black sand that gravitate through said perforations into the lower chamher. At the same time horizontal currents are created along the lower part of the chamber 2 from the water inlet pipe 12 to the outlet pipe or spout 15, at the far end of said chamber, sweeping the black sand and fine gold toward the outlet and into the settling tank. By providing a valve 13 in the inlet pipe 12 the strength or force of the upward currents passing through the perforated false bottom 3 can be so regulated as to prevent the entrance of any considerable quantity of dirt into the chamber 2, while offering no obstruction to the gravitation of gold and black sand and their passage into the chamber 2 .below the perforated false bottom. Thus the water entering the tank 1 through the inlet 7, conduit 6 and jet nozzles 8 serves to agitate the contents of the tank and float off the light refuse matter, while the water admitted directly into the chamber 2, and at a regulated pressure, through the valved pipe or inlet 12 prevents the entrance of dirt into said chamber and gradually works off the gold and heavy black sand through the outlet 15 and thence to the settling tank. By locating the water inlet 12 at one end of the chamber 2 and the outlet 15 at the other end the horizontal current or curt5 and its jet nozzles.

50 rated bottom of the upper tank.

rents thus produced in said chamber will carry together the accumulations of gold and black sand, and thereby prevent any clogging or filling up of the chamber and permit the apparatus to be used without interruption for a long period. Further, by providing the chamber 2 with an independ ent water supply through a valved pipe 12, separate and distinct from the inlet 7 and 10 conduit 6, the upward currents through the perforated false bottom 3, from the chamber 2 into the tank 1, can be regulated at will Without interfering with the main supply of water through the inlet 7 to the conduit 6 By observing the character of the discharge at the outlet accurate knowledge respecting the nature of the contents of chamber 2can be readily obtained, so as to enable the hand valve 13 to be properly adjusted from time to time to regulate or vary the force of the upward currents through the perforated false bottom. When required, the hand valve 13 can be opened for a time to its fullest extent to wash out the contents of the chamber 2 into the settling tank.

The gold and black sand received in the settling tank 16 are to be separated from each other in any approved and well known manner andif the sand is found to be sufficiently. to extract valuable it may be further treated 1 any gold that it may contain.

I am aware that in machines of this general character upward currents of water have 3 5 been arranged to flow into a tank through nozzles leading from a conduit placed in a lower chamber and also through perforations I in a sieve or false bottom, This, of course,

I do not broadly claim. My improvements 4c in the separation of precious metals from their ores by washing are distinguished by providing one end of the chamber located below the separating tank with an independent regulated supply of water and at the other end with anoutlet to a settling tank,

said independent andregulated water supply being separate and distinct from the supply of water to a conduit having the usual nozzles discharging upward through the perfo- These improvements permit a perfect control of the force of upward currents through the perforated diaphragm or false bottom of the separating tank, independent of the currents issuing from the jet nozzles, prevent the entrance of light earthy material into the lower chamber in which the gold and all the heavy black sand are collected together, and provide for conveying the gold and black sand along the lower chamber by horizontal C111,

rents discharging into a settling tank, the gold and black sand being thus saved to gether for subsequent separation by any approved means.

What I claim as my inventionis- 1. In a machine for extracting gold and black sand from auriferous ores and gravels, the combination with a tank having in its lower portion alongitudinally extended chamber provided at one end with an outlet, a

grating or perforated false bottom separating said chamber from the body of the tank,

and a water conduit located in said chamber the body of the tank, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for extracting gold and black sand from auriferous ores and gravels, the combination with a tank having a chamher in its lower portion, a grating or perforated false bottom extended horizontally across said tank at the top of the lower chamber,-and a water conduit located in said chamber and provided with j et-nozzles extended upward through the false bottom, of a separate and independent water inlet pipe communicating with one end of the lower chamber and provided with a valve for regulating the force of the current of water admitted to the lower chamber and passing therefrom through the perforated false bottom into the body of the tank, and an outlet pipe leading from the other end of the lower chamber, substantially as described.

3. In a'machine for extracting gold and black sand from auriferous ores and gravels, the combination'with a tank having a lower chamber, a grating or perforated false bot-' tom extended horizontally across the top of said chamber, and a water conduit provided with jet-nozzles extended upward into the tank, of a separate and independent water inlet pipe comm unioating with one end of the lower chamber and provided with avalve, an

outletypipe leading from the other end of said chamber, and a settling tank into which said outlet pipe discharges, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my'hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

SAMUEL e. DORR. 

